


red string of fate

by nctdreammybubs



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Developing Relationship, Fluff, M/M, markhyuck, nomin at the beginning, slight angst, slight markxrenjun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-28
Updated: 2018-09-28
Packaged: 2019-07-18 16:38:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16122542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nctdreammybubs/pseuds/nctdreammybubs
Summary: everyone has a red string that connects them to their soulmate. of course donghyuck does too. but what does he do when things don't turn out the way he expects them to, and he ends up falling harder than he should?//donghyuck goes to canada for an exchange programme and finds his soulmate there.





	red string of fate

**Author's Note:**

> hey i've been working on this for like 6 hours and this suddenly came to my mind and i just had to write it before i forgot anything so pls forgive me if there are any mistakes!! just saying but it's really long! (literally my longest so far for a one shot) enjoy! :)

donghyuck sat alone in a cafe, sipping at his coffee once in a while as he observed the people of seoul go about their busy lives. it wasn't that he wasn't busy, but he'd just decided to skip school that day. he watched people with all sorts of backgrounds walk past him, business men dressed to the nines for a meeting with the most important of clients, women in their high heels which clacked rather noisily, children on their way to elementary school, and of course college students just like him on their way to school.

he spots a particular couple across the street, and rolls his eyes at how annoying clingy they are towards each other. jeno has his arm around jaemin's waist, and they're joined at the hips even when they're walking. donghyuck sighed. they'd always been like that since they'd met. after all, they were soulmates. donghyuck's eyes flicker to the red string connecting jeno and jaemin by their pinkies. he had been there the very day they found each other, and as much as he hates how clingy they are around each other, he's glad to have been able to witness it.

_just like any other normal school day, he and jaemin were on their way back to school, and for the entire day jaemin had been complaining about how his the thread around his pinky had become somewhat tight, and the loops it was tangled in slowly came apart. of course, being 16, neither of them knew what it meant, so donghyuck had shrugged his shoulders at jaemin's complains, saying that it was probably just his mind playing tricks on him. just as they're walking, a ball flies over in their direction and due to donghyuck's fast reflexes, he manages to dodge it, but jaemin being the slower one, was only able to allow his eyes to widen before the ball hit him square in the jaw. the younger fell to the ground with a loud yelp, and he ends up in a siting position. donghyuck would have laughed, but he saw the other's jaw beginning to turn red, and jaemin was groaning in pain._

_"i swear i will ki-"_

_"i'm sorry!" a brunette ran over, crouching down to look jaemin in the eyes. his fingers make their way to jaemin's chin, softly turning his face to the left, then to the right, before he spots the red spot on his jaw. guilt rushes over the male, and his fingers lightly touch the spot, only for jaemin to again, yelp in pain. however when jaemin recovers from the pain, he finally looks the other in the eye, and he almost wants to slap himself for being this mesmerised with a stranger. he loses himself in the other's eyes, and jeno himself is also unable to tear his eyes away from the injured male. jaemin once again feels the string around his pinky tugging slightly, and his other hand reaches to rub at his pinky. coincidentally (not), at the same time, jeno also reaches for his own pinky, and both males pause. their eyes trail from their own pinkies, to the red thread that is taut, and they realise that the end of the other string stops just right in front of them. they look from the string to the other's pinky, and they both raise it up at the same time, eyes widening. the string that had previously been who knows how long was now a mere 10cm long string, connecting the two males._

_"you..." jaemin's mouth opens to speak, but no words come out. jeno himself also just gapes at the other, no words exchanged. he tries to take in the beauty of the male before him, and he suddenly remembers that he'd just hit his soulmate in the jaw with a ball. he remembers the red patch on jaemin's jaw, and he snaps back to reality._

_"oh no, we need to get ice on this," jeno stuttered out, reaching out to pick jaemin up bridal style. jaemin who'd been too captured by the other's looks, suddenly opened his eyes in shock as he felt himself being lifted off the ground. he protests but jeno doesn't give him a choice. jaemin then remembers donghyuck, and looks over to his bestfriend who's smirking back at him. he makes a face that asks for donghyuck to save him, but all donghyuck does is mouth "update me later" before he's walking off in the other direction. needless to say, after jeno had helped to ice jaemin's injury, they became too smitten with each other, and it didn't take long for them to be officially going out._

donghyuck eyes the red string around his pinky from the corner of his eyes. it drops to the floor, tangled in itself. it'd been 5 years since jeno and jaemin had gotten together, and here he was, still single. he sighed, taking another sip of the americano in his hand. it wasn't like he didn't believe in soulmates, but the idea just seemed too far fetched for his liking. he couldn't imagine himself falling in love with a stranger the moment they meet.

the bell hanging off the door knob rings as the door opens, and jeno and jaemin walk into the cafe, hands now at their sides, but still intertwined. jaemin sits opposite donghyuck and jeno heads to the counter to get their usuals.

"hyuck, did you hear?" jaemin deosn't even bother to sit properly, leaning forward excitedly. donghyuck turns his head to face his bestfriend, an expression of disinterest on his face.

"hear what? i swear if it's one of your-"

"we're going to canada," jaemin cuts him off, a wide grin on his face as donghyuck's eyes widen.

"wait, for real? you? me? canada?" donghyuck stutters, unsure if he's hearing right.

"that's right my bro," and before jaemin can continue, jeno cuts in with a "me of course too."

donghyuck's mouth gapes open, and he can't believe his ears. he, jaemin and jeno had signed up for this exchange programme to canada, and needless to say donghyuck was excited beyond words. he'd always wanted to go on a trip with jaemin (jeno included in the package).

donghyuck jumps up from his seat, pumping his fists in the air as he jumps on the spot, earning weird gazes from the other customers. it didn't take long for him to pester jaemin and jeno to finish their drinks as quickly as possible because "i want to pack my stuff!". the trip was 1 week away, and donghyuck wanted to make sure he had everything he needed. needless to say, the moment he'd gotten home, he'd shouted a quick "i'll be in my room!" to his mum before heading straight to his room, slamming the door shut in excitement before his mother could even reply. donghyuck was beyond thrilled. donghyuck was done packing before he knew it, and he sat on his bed pouting, knowing that he still had to wait a week before he could go on this 3 months exchange programme.

the one week went by faster than he'd expected, and before they knew it, the three boys found themselves in the airport, waving goodbyes to their families. jaemin's mother wasn't worried considering how jeno would be going along with jaemin, and she knew that he would take good care of her son. however, donghyuck's mother was extremely worried, and slightly upset that she couldn't be there with him.

"i'll be fine," he said, a smile on his face as he leaned forward to peck his mother's cheek. he gives his father a side hug to which his father returns before patting his head.

"have fun!" they hear the parents say before go into the departure hall. when they enter, donghyuck feels a sense of freedom, still slightly unable to believe that he was finally going on this trip.

as they find their seats on the plane, donghyuck sits in the seat nearest to the window. he buckles the seat belt, leaning his head against the side of the aircraft. jaemin gets into the seat next to him, jeno sitting in the seat nearest to the aisle. it isn't long before the plane takes off, and they're already in mid air, on their way to canada. donghyuck looks out the window, seeing the clouds passing him, and he feels at peace. he closes his eyes, hoping that the long plane ride would soon be over, not knowing that at his side, the red string was slowly beginning to untangle itself.

1st

when they arrive in toronto, they are rushed into a bus that takes them straight to the college campus where they will be residing at for the next 1 week. the driver is a kind old man who speaks korean (thankfully), and they converse a little on their way to the college. as the bus finally comes to a halt and donghyuck feels his ass becoming slightly sore considering how long he's been sitting down for, he stumbles out of the bus, reaching his hands up in an attempt to stretch. just as he's about to yawn, he hears a voice from in front of him, causing his eyes to widen in shock.

"hey, you guys must be the exchange students from korea," donghyuck looks up to see a short male in front of him, slightly shorter than he was. his hair is blonde, and dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a white oversized top. jaemin and jeno climb out of the bus as well, shouting a goodbye to the driver. they stop next to donghyuck and the male before them finally introduces himself.

"nice to meet you. my name's huang renjun. i'll be guiding and showing you around for the next 1 week," he pauses to look at his phone before looking up at them with an apologetic smile, "my boyfriend's also supposed to be here but he's currently busy. i'll introduce him to you guys tomorrow i guess," he shrugs.

"i'm donghyuck," donghyuck reaches a hand out for renjun to shake, which he takes, and the two smile at each other. donghyuck admits that renjun has a dazzling smile, and he blushes slightly. jaemin and jeno introduce themselves afterwards, and jeno protectively introduces jaemin as his boyfriend, to which the other smacks the back of his head. jeno pouts and renjun just laughs at their actions.

"shall we head to the dorms?" renjun gestures towards the dorms when they finish introducing themselves, and the three nod.

"donghyuck you'll be rooming with mark, and jeno and jaemin you guys will be rooming with me," renjun informs them, giving them their keys, and he warns them not to lose it. he then offers to show the three around campus, and they, of course being new around here, gladly take the offer. after showing them around the campus, renjun also treats them to dinner, before they all return to the dorms for the night.

when they reach their doorstep, renjun, jeno and jaemin exchange a short goodnight with donghyuck before they enter their room. when donghyuck turns the key in it's place, he walks into the room and is surprised at how clean it is. he'd never considered himself to be a very clean or neat person, and neither were any of the guys in his life (namely his dad, jeno and jaemin), so he didn't exactly expect his roommate to be this much of a neat freak. he makes his way over to the balcony, pulling apart the curtains to look at the night view of the campus garden. he sees students, some running about, some on a date, and some just chilling. he feels a slight tug on his pinky, and his heart speeds up for a moment as his eyes flicker to his pinky.

was he going to finally meet his soulmate?

his train of thoughts are interrupted when the door to his room opens, and a male stands at the door. the lights aren't on so donghyuck can't make out his face. when the male at the door turns the lights on, he jumps slightly upon seeing donghyuck near the balcony.

"damn, you could turn on the lights you know," he breathes out, slipping his shoes off. when his shoes are off, he looks up to take in the sight of his new korean roommate. when they make eye contact, donghyuck feels his breath hitch. the male before him has black hair that is neatly styled, dressed in an oversized hoodie, round lenses resting on his nose. mark also stops in place, dazzled by the male before him. his stops breathing for a moment and he takes in the sight of the brown haired male before him. donghyuck is wearing his black ripped skinny jeans, paired with a dark green hoodie that surprisingly looks good on him. mark can't tear his eyes off the other, and the two just stand there staring at each other. when donghyuck finally realises the tension in the air, he coughs to break the silence.

he walks over to the older, reaching a hand out to offer a handshake. "you must be mark," he smiles, silently chiding himself for staring at a stranger, who's also going to be his roommate for the next 1 week. mark regains his composure and he offers his hand back to donghyuck. they exchange smiles, and donghyuck feels the string around his pinky tighten further, and he glances down at it, and mark does the same. they both freeze in their spot. their eyes flicker to each other and back to their hands. slowly pulling their hands apart, their hands separate to allow the red string to come into sight. unlike what donghyuck had seen of the string a week ago, it was now straight, no longer tangled, and when his eye follow it, his gaze lands on the other's pinky. a gasp escapes his mouth, and mark's eyes widen in shock. their pinkies are connected. they're soulmates. donghyuck's found his soulmate.

mark's gaze shifts somewhat uncomfortably between their hands and the other male. he wouldn't deny that he did find the brown haired male before him extremely attractive, and at that moment he wanted nothing more than to take the male before him into his arms, allowing his tears of joy to make their way down his face. but he knows its wrong. he shakes his head, removing his hand away. donghyuck frowns at his soulmate's actions.

"make yourself at home, i'm going to go take a bath. don't wait for me," he mutter under his breath before he escapes off to the bathroom, locking the door behind him, leaving an extremely puzzled donghyuck behind. donghyuck know what to think about it. he and his soulmate had just found each other, but the other just walks off, pretending to not notice it. as the other walks further away from him, the tugging on his pinky becomes more evident. he wants to wait for mark to come out of the bathroom so that they can talk about it, but mark doesnt' come out. he locks himself in for the next 2 hours, and donghyuck whos suffering from jet-lag, inevitably ends up falling asleep on his bed without changing out of his clothes. his heart drops slightly at mark's actions but little does he know that the other is having an internal war inside the bathroom. when mark finally comes out of the bathroom, he looks to see donghyuck is awake, only to find out that he'd fallen asleep without even changing out of his clothes. he notices that donghyuck is shivering slightly, and he bites his lip, hesitating. however he shakes the hesitation off, walking over to the sleeping male to softly pull the blanket over him. he observes the sleeping male, taking in the sight of the way his mouth is slightly open, and how there are soft snores escaping his mouth. mark feels a tug at his pinky and he knows what it means, but he ignores it. because it isn't right anyway. he then turns to go to his own bed to turn in for the night.

2nd

the next morning when donghyuck wakes up, mark is already out of bed. his frown deepens and he slowly makes his way over to the bathroom to wash up. when he hears a knock on the door, he opens it to see renjun, jeno and jaemin on the other side. renjun smiles at him.

"morning donghyuck. have you packed your bag?" donghyuck suddenly remembers that today's schedule is a trip around the city. he smacks his palm against his forehead.

"give me just one moment," he exclaims before running back into the room to pack his necessities into his haversack. he swiftly changes into dark blue hoodie and his usual black skinny jeans before slipping on his shoes. when he's out, jaemin sasses at how slow he is, causing him to roll his eyes while the other two laugh.

when they reach the first floor of the dorms, donghyuck spots mark sitting on the couch at the corner of the room, deep in thought. he notices that today mark is dressed similar to how he was yesterday, a black hoodie with a pair of white jeans. he notices how renjun's smile brightens upon seeing mark, he notices the way renjun calls out affectionately to mark, and he notices how mark perks up at the sound of renjun's voice. he definitely doesn't miss the subtle smile that appears on mark's face when renjun jumps into his arms, and how he returns the hug. he feels a weird feeling in his gut, and he wants nothing more than to turn around to run back to his dorm.

the three join mark and renjun in the corner of the room and renjun doesn't hesitate to introduce mark.

"donghyuck i'm sure you've met mark already," he turns to grin at the rest, a look of pure bliss in his eyes, " this is my boyfriend, mark."

mark doesn't miss the way the younger's eyes widen before the expression on his face turns into one of betrayal. mark feels his heart tightening at the look on the younger's face, and when donghyuck turns to look him in the eyes as if searching for an explanation, he looks away. he feels guilt biting away at his heart, but he tells himself it isn't his fault. it isn't his fault that he fell in love with renjun before he'd met donghyuck. his eyes flicker to the shorter blonde male next to him, and he tells himself that he'll never leave renjun. he turns back to donghyuck, full of confidence and determination, but they both disappear when he sees how heartbroken the younger is. donghyuck doesn't even bother trying to hide the frown on his face, and he almost looks as if he's on the verge of tears.

now donghyuck is the one who refuses to look the older in the eye, and his eyes unconsciously land on the red string around his pinky. he didn't know what to do. he knew that it was useless to try and get mark to fall in love with him because firstly, he had renjun and secondly, nobody in their right mind would ever leave renjun for a guy like himself. he was nothing compared to renjun. renjun lighted up everyone's world while he was always off in a corner on his own. renjun was friendly, beautiful even for a guy, and donghyuck was just...average.

jaemin doesn't fail to notice the way donghyuck evidently deflates when mark arrives, and his eyes furrow in worry. jeno notices the look of worry on his boyfriend and gently elbows jaemin, giving him a questioning look. jaemin's eyes don't leave donghyuck, but he shakes his head softly, signalling to jeno that they would talk later.

the rest of the day, mark tries his best to be a loving boyfriend just like he always was, constantly sticking to renjun's side. however his gaze always unconsciously makes its way over to the brown haired male at the back of the group, walking alone, sticking out like a sore thumb with the 2 couples walking ahead of him. he didn't fail to notice how when donghyuck thought no one was watching, his hands would make its way onto his face to wipe away his tears once in awhile. mark shakes his head, trying to focus on the blonde male next to him instead, ignoring the pain in his heart and the slight tugging at his pinky. after all, renjun was his boyfriend.

the day ends faster than expected and mark is exhausted. his eyes are exhausted from constantly looking at donghyuck from the corner of his eyes, and his mind is tired from being too deep in thought. donghyuck is also evidently tired, and jaemin notices how he'd been uncharacteristically quiet the entire day. he excuses himself, jeno and donghyuck, dragging donghyuck over to the campus' garden. they chose a spot under a tree, and luckily tonight, there were barely any students around.

"donghyuck, you've been acting all weird today. what happened?" jaemin and jeno sit next to donghyuck, donghyuck stuck in between them. he sighs, and for the first time that day, jaemin and jeno notice how his eyes are slightly red and puffy as if he'd been crying all day. donghyuck finally decides to let it all out, knowing that he can trust the two.

"mark's..." he pauses, tears forming in his eyes as he looks at jaemin. jaemin nods, encouraging him to continue his sentence.

"he's my soulmate," he chokes out, a tear making its way down his face. jeno's and jaemin's eyes widen in horror. jaemin immediately takes donghyuck into his arms, and donghyuck breaks down. he lets out choked sobs as he buries his face in jaemin's chest. jaemin just lets donghyuck cry in his arms, and jeno reaches to run his hand up and down donghyuck's back soothingly in an attempt to calm him down.

it's late at night when jaemin is finally able to convince donghyuck to go back to the dorm. as much as he wishes that he doesn't have to go back, he knows that he needs the sleep to last for the next day's lessons. jaemin and jeno accompany him to the door, ensuring that he goes in before they themselves go back to their rooms. he turns the door knob slowly, inwardly hoping that the older was already asleep. when he steps in, he sees mark sitting at the couch, reading a book. he silently curses and makes a beeline for the bathroom.

mark's eyes flicker to the male trying to escape to the bathroom.

"where were you?" he hesitates, causing donghyuck to stop on the spot. to be honest, he'd been glad to see that the younger was back. when jaemin had suddenly took off with him and jeno in tow, he was left stunned on the spot, confused. when donghyuck didn't return even at 12 am, his thoughts began to run wild, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep until the younger was back. what if donghyuck was in trouble? he had to ensure that his sou- roommate was safe.

"...no where of your concern," donghyuck tries to say it in a hostile manner, but it comes out as a soft whisper. it's evident in his voice how he'd been crying for hours, and mark of course, doesn't miss it. he makes his way over to donghyuck, fingers reaching under his chin to lift his face up, but donghyuck still refuses to look him in the eyes.

"were you crying?" mark asks, eyebrows furrowed in concern, gaze soft. donghyuck smacks his hand away, turning to glare at the older.

"leave me alone," he hisses out before heading to the bathroom, slamming and locking the door behind him. mark is left alone in the middle of their bedroom, shocked. his eyes travel to his fingers, and he feels his heart ache at donghyuck's actions. he gulps, and tears begin to well up in his eyes but he wipes them away before he climbs into bed, pulling the covers over his head. he hears donghyuck letting out soft cries in the bathroom, and his heart begins to hurt even more. he tries to ignore it, wanting nothing more than to fall asleep, to forget everything temporarily. once again, he ignores the tugging he feels on his pinky.

3rd

classes start today and this time when mark is up, donghyuck's already out of bed. his bed is neatly made, and he notices that the other had pulled the curtains together to ensure that he didn't get woken up by the rising sun. the tightening feeling in his heart returns and mark closes his eyes. he gets ready for lessons and walks over to the lecture rooms for his lessons. when he gets to his lesson, he sees his boyfriend sitting in their usual spot in the corner of the room, with donghyuck, jeno and jaemin sitting next to him. renjun waves at him, and he notices that his usual spot had been taken by jeno, and now the only seat left was next to donghyuck. he slowly makes his way over, seeing donghyuck slightly stiffen when mark sits down next to him. from the corner of his eyes he sees donghyuck staring at and fumbling with his own fingers, evidently nervous and uncomfortable. mark frowned, and his heart dropped in his chest. he tries to focus on something else, and picks up his bag to take out his notes and stationary. he groans inwardly when he realises that he'd forgotten to bring his pen along to the lecture. on his right is the aisle, and on his left is donghyuck. he hesitates, but he picks up the courage to ask donghyuck for a pen. donghyuck doesn't respond, and just grabs a pen from his own pencil case, holding it out for mark to take. mark thanks him softly and when he reaches out to take the pen from donghyuck, their fingers touch for a moment, sending shivers down their spines.

throughout the lesson, donghyuck is unable to focus as he fumbles with the edges of his notes and twirls his pen. he takes this opportunity to let everything sink in. he'd arrived in canada 2 days ago, met his soulmate and got indirectly rejected on the 1st day, cried over his soulmate on the second day, and here he was, sitting next to said soulmate on the 3rd day. he recalls how jeno and jaemin had met, and curses his fate. why couldn't he and mark have met under similar circumstances? then again, everyone's life was meant to be different.

during lunch, the 5 of them are joined by chenle and jisung. they introduce themselves as friends of mark and jaemin and jeno questions why they'd never seen them around. chenle and jisung then explains that that's because they were taking different classes. donghyuck finds himself enjoying chenle and jisung's presence, and he ends up sticking to them for the entire day. he finds out that jisung and chenle were dating, and teases the two at how cute their relationship was. in the back of his mind, donghyuck is jealous. he is jealous of their relationship. he sees the red string connecting jisung and chenle, and he's almost about to break out into tears again when the thought of mark flashes across his head. however chenle's high pitched dolphin laughter brings him back to reality and it breaks his train of thoughts. he smiles at jisung and chenle bickering over the slightest of things only for one of them to apologise right before the fight escalates, and for the other to immediately follow with his own apology. they would then end it off with a hug and both would be all smiles and laughter again before they knew it.

he and mark avoid each other for the entire day, and donghyuck ends up staying in the library with jaemin, jeno, chenle and jisung till late at night. jaemin invites him to spend the night over at their room, hesitating to tell him that renjun had informed them that he would be spending the night at mark and his shared room. donghyuck raises an eyebrow at jaemin, but doesn't question him.

"all right," he answers, having mixed feelings. he didn't know if he should be glad or if he should be upset about having to be separated from his soulmate. but he figured a night away to forget all of this sounded great, so he agreed.

however when he reaches jaemin and jeno's doorstep, he suddenly realises that he doesn't have clothes to change into for the night. he reaches for his keys and opens the door to his and mark's shared room before jaemin and jeno can stop him.

"hyuck dont-"

when he pushes the door open, he looks up to over to the couch. he drops his phone and the keys as he sees mark sitting in his usual place on the couch, but today, with renjun on his lap. the two are pressed up against each other, lips locked and they pull apart in shock when the door opens. mark's hair is slightly disheveled, and he and renjun are panting, hard. renjun's top is almost all off and mark's shirt is already off. donghyuck notices how mark's jeans are already unzipped, and he takes in the sight of mark and renjun before him. tears well up in donghyuck's eyes at the sight before him, and mark's eyes widen.

"sorry if i interrupted anything. i'll just get my stuff and go," donghyuck mutters out, making his way past the two males staring at him. he grabs his clothes from his luggage and turn to leave when mark finally calls out to him.

"wait hyuck," mark croaks out. he knows he still has renjun in his lap but he doesn't know why he lets his emotions take over.

"it isn't..." what he says next could every well destroy his relationship with both his boyfriend and his soulmate, he knew that very well.

"it isn't what you think it is," he begins, tears already making their way down his face. renjun's eyes widen in horror, but he doesn't say anything. for a good few seconds, donghyuck doesn't reply, but he knows jeno and jaemin are still waiting for him at the door. he looks up at mark, and mark sees the tear streaks decorating his face.

"you don't have to explain yourself to me," it comes out as a choked whisper, and his hand reaches up to wipe away his tears before he walks out of the door, jaemin and jeno following after him.

the door shuts and for the first time ever since donghyuck had arrived, renjun noticed the red string connecting mark and donghyuck. he and mark stay in silence for who knows how long, before he looks up to see mark craddling his head, and he hears sobs escape mark's mouth for the first time. he knows he should be angry, and he is angry.

"why didn't you tell me?" he pulls mark into his embrace, wrapping his arms around the sobbing male. mark is surprised at how his voice is still one that is as soft as usual, as full of love as usual. he looks up at renjun, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably.

"don't you hate me? i betrayed you, i fell in love with someone else. don't you want to kill me?" mark blurted out, unable to control his emotions.

"of course i hate you. i hate that you never told me about this. i would have supported you," he chuckles lightly, running his fingers through mark's black hair, "besides, i could never bring myself to hate you."

mark sobs even louder at that, and he buries his face in renjun's chest, letting go of his emotions. he hated himself for hurting not just donghyuck, but renjun as well. he didn't deserve either of them.

back in jaemin and jeno's room, donghyuck sits on their couch, staring out of the window. he'd stopped crying a while ago, knowing that it was futile. he'd cried too much, and he was sick and tired. he was exhausted. but despite how tired he is, a tear still manages to make its way down his face, triggering him to break down once again. jaemin and jeno watch silently as their friend struggles with his emotions, struggles with his relationship.

"i could beat him up for you, you know?" jeno mumbles, frowning. jaemin chuckles at how protective jeno is over donghyuck, and he agrees with jeno as he takes donghyuck into his arms. this causes donghyuck to chuckle lightly, muttering a soft "thank you" to the both of them.

eventually they both fall asleep in the arms of a loved one, but not the one they love with all their heart.

4th

the next day, renjun is back to normal, and donghyuck wonders why renjun doesn't hate him.

"don't you hate me?" donghyuck questioned hesitantly when renjun wrapped an arm around his neck. he pretends to think, tapping his chin with his finger.

"maybe i do," he sees donghyuck stiffen and he lets out a chuckle, "just kidding. i don't. you guys say the exact same thing, and no i don't blame either of you. fate is just...cruel," he smiles bitterly, but donghyuck is thankful. he's thankful for how understanding renjun is, and he wraps his arms around renjun, causing the shorter male to gasp in shock. he then smiles warmly, and returns the hug.

that afternoon, donghyuck searches the internet on how to get rid of soulmates. he comes across an article that mentions "getting rid of the red string", and it tells him to 'cut it'. it gives him the name of a shop that sells a particular pair of scissors meant just for cutting the string, and he decides that on that afternoon he's definitely going to purchase it. when he sees mark, he refuses to make eye contact with the older, and jaemin mentally facepalms at how oblivious the two are.

when donghyuck speeds out of class immediately, jaemin and jeno of course follow after him, leaving a confused mark and renjun behind. he arrives at the shady shop and quickly purchases it, not allowing himself to pause to answer jaemin and jeno's questions. the shop is far away from the campus so when they get back it's already night time. they back to their usual place under the tree in the garden, and donghyuck finally fills jaemin and jeno in.

"i'm going to cut this," he gestures to the red string, "with this," he gestures to the scissors.

"it's going to cut off all our ties from now on. i don't belong here. i shouldn't have came to canada, i should never have entered his life. he deserves renjun, and renjun deserves him. they're perfect for each other," donghyuck ends with a bitter smile on his face, raising the scissors up to observe it.

it's just like any other pair of scissors, but smaller, and shinier.

"donghyuck, are you sure you want to do that?" jaemin questioned nervously. he didn't want donghyuck to make a mistake that he would regret, but he didn't want donghyuck to suffer this much either. donghyuck nods his head.

"pretty much nothing is going to change my mind. i'll do it tonight," he breathes out.

when he returns to the dorm, once again he sees mark in his usual spot on the couch, reading yet another book. he notices how the older's eye bags are evidently heavier than when they'd met on the first day, and he knows it's his fault.

"welcome back," mark smiles weakly at him. he'd been staying up every night to wait for the younger to come back, and it only got later every night. he'd spend his time on the couch, reading a book while waiting for the younger. anyway, he knew he wouldn't be able to fall asleep without knowing that donghyuck was back safe and sound.

donghyuck only nods slightly, muttering a "goodnight" to him, to which mark nods his head. his heart tightened in his chest when the younger sped past him. he felt tears in his eyes. he knew donghyuck probably hated him at the moment, and that he had no one except himself to blame. he climbs into bed, allowing his tears to stain his white bedsheets as he closed his eyes, somehow crying himself to sleep.

when donghyuck comes out of the bathroom, he sees mark curled up in a ball. his chest tightens, and tears threaten to fall again. but he knows that at this point, probably nothing will come out anymore because in a span of 4 days, he's cried more than he's ever cried in the 21 years of his life. he takes the scissors out from his pocket, bringing it nearer to the red string connecting him and mark.

he looks at the string between them, tightening as if it knew it were about to be cut. a tear makes it way down his face and he stares lovingly at the sleeping male before him. for the first time in the past 4 days, the crease between mark's eyebrows are gone, and he looks so peaceful. donghyuck blames himself for causing mark to end up in this state. but he still looks exhausted, and once again donghyuck blames himself. he brings the red string between the sharp edges of the scissors, and he shuts his eyes, blinking the tears away.

"donghyuck...please don't leave me," mark sobs out silently, and donghyuck opens his eyes to see the tear streaks on the older's face. donghyuck breaks down into silent cries as he closes his eyes again in resolution.

"i'm sorry, mark."

_snip_

5th

when mark wakes up the next morning, he feels as if a burden is lifted off his chest. he looks over to the bed at the other end of the room. for the first time in a really long while, he doesn't feel the tugging at his pinky. he gets out of bed and walks over to where donghyuck is sleeping soundly, soft snores escaping his mouth as usual. his gaze softens when he notices the tear streaks on the other's face. he reaches a hand out to cup donghyuck's cheek, he rubs softly at it. affections fills his heart, and his eyes travel to the younger's hand. he then realises, to his horror, that the string around his and donghyuck's hand are no longer connected. when he lifts his hand, he sees the string hanging loosely, ending in the middle of air, no longer connected to the string on donghyuck's hand.

he'd heard of this. he'd heard of soulmates breaking their bonds because they fell out of love. this was it. he'd been the very one who caused this to happen. tears ran down his face, an unreadable expression on his face. when the emotions hit him, he let out a loud cry by accident, causing donghyuck to stir in his sleep. mark raises his hand to his mouth, placing it in between his teeth. he bites down hard on his hand, the only method he thinks is possible to mute the cries leaving his mouth. he's sure it's going to leave teeth marks, but he doesn't care. his heart is hurting too much for him to bother about pain anywhere else anyway. the tears cascade down his face, and he falls to the floor next to the sleeping male.

when mark shakes donghyuck awake, its because its his 3rd last day in canada, and they'd planned to go to the amusement park together. donghyuck's eyes flutter open, and he's met with a warm smile on mark's face, but he notices how dead he looks. there's almost no emotion in his eyes, and he sees hurt flash across his eyes for a moment before it disappears completely.

donghyuck only nods, and wakes up. when he heads to the bathroom, he remembers what he'd done the night before and he raises his hand, to see the red string hanging off his pinky. but of course, it was no longer connected to anything else, hanging in mid air. tears threaten to fall again, but he shakes it off, refusing to cry when it's supposed to be a happy day.

when mark and donghyuck appear in the lobby together, everyone realises that they're no longer connected. renjun's eyes widen in shock while jeno and jaemin only frown in disappointment, while chenle and jisung only stare in curiosity. donghyuck is ashamed. he hates himself.

when they're in the bus on their way over to the amusement park, mark is seated at the back, gazing listlessly at the cars driving past. he sees a small boy in the car next to them, and the boy smiles widely at him, lifting his hand to wave at mark. mark smiles softly and waves back. he then closes his eyes, wanting nothing more than to drown out the pain he felt (and he won't going to tell anyone but he just feels like drowning in general). his heart is hollow, and he knows its because he and donghyuck are no longer connected, no longer soulmates. his eyes open slowly when he feels a dip in the seat next to his, and he sees donghyuck. the younger has a look of immense worry as he picks up mark's hand.

"did you do this to yourself?" donghyuck asks softly, the words leaving his mouth like a melody. mark had always liked his voice, right from the start. sometimes he doubted if he loved donghyuck's voice, or if he loved donghyuck. but at the end of the day when he finds himself staring at donghyuck from wherever he is, he knows that he loves everything about the male. he loves donghyuck as a whole. even when he discovers how clumsy, how whiny donghyuck is, how donghyuck constantly likes to prank those around him (jaemin had told him all these), his heart still beats fast for him, and mark knows he's fallen in love with the younger. when he doesn't reply, donghyuck only tugs at his hand, breaking his train of thoughts. he nods and looks away, ashamed.

"why?" donghyuck's face twists into one of pain, and mark wonders why donghyuck is in pain when he himself is the one with the teeth marks. mark knows he can't trust his voice at this point in time, so he just shakes his head, muttering a soft "i'm sorry," voice wavering slightly. mark tries to blink back his tears, but they betray him as one stray tear slides down. donghyuck's eyes widen but he doesn't say anything, lips pressed tightly together. he reaches his arms out to take mark into his arms, wanting nothing more than to comfort the older, and mark lets himself be weak donghyuck's arms. his walls break down and he lets out choked sobs, and donghyuck's heart tightens at the sight of mark completely loses himself to his emotions at this moment. the other boys try not to interrupt them, and decide to bother themselves with something else.

mark doesn't say anything but somehow he constantly finds himself being left alone with donghyuck a lot. they walk into a souvenir shop, and from the corner of his eyes he spots a soft toy in the shape of a sun, with eyes and a smile. it reminds him of donghyuck, and his heart aches at the thought of him. it's just like donghyuck. smiley, bright, the one bringing light to his life. he slaps his cheeks, mentally chiding himself. he wasn't going to cry here, not now, and not in front of donghyuck. he knew he hurt donghyuck more than donghyuck had hurt him, so he didn't have the right to show his weak side in front of donghyuck. he still buys the soft toy anyway, chucking it into his backpack before the others notice. but of course, donghyuck sees it.

somehow, he finds himself and donghyuck being pushed into the ferris wheel, and the door closes before either of them can protest. they resign to their fate, and slump in their seats. donghyuck only gazes out the window while mark fumbles with his fingers, eyes lingering back and forth between his fingers and the male sat opposite him. the sun is setting and its shining on donghyuck, highlighting his sun-kissed skin. he notices the heavy eye bags under his eyes, and how he evidently looks more tired than he did when he'd just arrived in canada. when donghyuck does turn to look at him and they make eye contact, causing mark's heart to stop for a second. neither of them look away.

"you cut the string didn't you?" mark chokes out, gulping.

donghyuck doesn't deny it, and he only nods in response.

"i'm...sorry," the words escape donghyuck's mouth and he struggles to keep his tone neutral and mark only chuckles in response.

"it was never your fault, you know? its always been mine, right from the very start. i’d messed up and i won’t say i regret asking renjun out because i don’t deserve him,” he looks at donghyuck through the tears in his eyes, “but i most definitely don’t deserve you. i didn’t even know of your existence and when you just came into my life like that i thought, to hell with fate. who were they to decide who stayed in my life and who didn’t? who were they to decide you were my soulmate?” he chokes and he knows he’s crying, but he doesn’t care. donghyuck needed to know how he felt. 

“so i don’t blame you for cutting the string. in fact, i’m glad because you don’t have to be stuck with someone as indecisive as me, you don’t have to spend your days crying over me. i don’t deserve you, especially after all that i’ve done to hurt you,” mark doesn’t pause. 

donghyuck feels tears leave his eyes, and his heart aches more than ever in his chest. both of them burst into tears and mark takes donghyuck in his arms, wrapping it tightly around the smaller. he cries into donghyuck’s hair and donghyuck cries into his chest, his fist balled.

“i love you,” mark whispers into donghyuck’s ear, and donghyuck doesnt reply but he buries his face deeper into mark’s chest, the tears continuing to seep through the thin material of mark’s shirt.

when they get off the ferris wheel, mark has to carry donghyuck off the ferris wheel as the younger had fallen asleep after crying. the rest coo silently at how cute the sight is, but they remain silent when they see the fresh streaks of tears decorating thw two's cheeks. mark doesn't say anything but only holds donghyuck even closer to his body.

when they get home, mark gently places donghyuck down on the bed, pulling the covers over him. he remembers the soft toy he'd bought earlier, and places it next to donghyuck. he gazes lovingly at the sleeping male and reaches a hand out to ruffle donghyuck's hair. he leans down to peck his forehead, before he backs away and retreats to his own bed.

 

6th day

mark wakes up with an idea in mind. its the last day before donghyuck leaves, and he doesn't want to live with regrets. he washes his face, and heads out with just a cap, going out to seek all the help he can get. first he goes to jaemin and jeno.

"please help me out," he bows a 90 degrees bow and how could jaemin and jeno even bring themselves to reject him? so of course they agree, and renjun also offers to help. he nods, greatful for their help. then he comes across chenle and jisung as well, and they all set out to accomplish their task. 

all jaemin and jeno has to do is to distract donghyuck for the entire day while mark along with the help of renjun, chenle and jisung would get ready. it would have probably taken a very long time considering how impromptu it was, but because he was determinded, mark was ready by the time jaemin and jeno had just about run out of things to distract donghyuck with. 

the door bell rings and donghyuck looks up from the tv console to the door. he raises his eyebrows. who even rings the doorbell anymore?

"i swear if its some prank, i'll ki-" he opens the door and comes face to face with jisung who's holding a sunflower with a small card. he eyes jisung suspiciously and turns around to give jaemin and jeno a questioning glare as well, but they just gesture for him to read the card, which he does.

_go to the rooftop_

he furrows his eyebrows in confusion, and he's about to tell them to stop with the prank until he sees the pleading look on jaemin's face. 

"hyuck, go get dressed and get going. dress nicely!"

but of course donghyuck doesn't, and decides that its perfectly fine to just go in his hoodie and sweat pants. he brings the sunflower and letter along. when he's slowly making his way over to the rooftop, he comes across chenle who's standing at the bottom of the staircase leading to the rooftop, another sunflower in his hand, beaming widely at him. now he knows for sure it isn't a prank, and he more or less already gets what's going on. chenle also doesn't say anything, but simply gestures for him to go up the steps. 

when he arrives at the door leading to the rooftop, renjun is standing there, a large smile on his face, with what donghyuck assumes is the last sunflower in his hands. he's dressed in a nice warm sweater, and donghyuck reaches his arms out to wrap him in a hug. renjun returns the hug and mutters a soft "go to him", gesturing for donghyuck to open the door as he hands over the sunflower.

donghyuck gulps nervously, and his hands ghost over the door knob for a second, hesitating. he presses down, and the door opens. a gust of wind blows, causing him to be unable to see clearly. he closes and opens his eyes again to see none other than mark in the middle of the rooftop, dressed in a white dress shirt, paired with black ripped skinny jeans, and he'd styled his hair neatly. there is a table in the middle with food spread all over, even champagne, and he hears music playing softly in the background. he makes his way over to mark, slowly taking in the sight of everything.

"mark, did you prepare all of this?" donghyuck's eyes are wide open in disbelief. mark nods.

"i prepared them with the help of the rest. even the food is home cooked, although i almost burnt down the kitchen but you don't need to know about that," he smiles sheepishly, rubbing the nape awkwardly. donghyuck chuckles slightly at that.

"shall we dance?" mark bites his lip, awkwardly reaching a hand out to offer it to donghyuck. donghyuck stares at him, and for a moment mark is worried donghyuck would just turn and walk out of there right then and there, but his thoughts are cut off when donghyuck places his hand in the heart of mark's palm. mark's other hand naturally finds its way to donghyuck's waist, and donghyuck's makes it way to wrap around mark's neck. they slow dance in the middle of the day, and they know their friends are probably watching through the crack in the door, but they don't stop, losing themselves in the moment. 

donghyuck gazes deeply into mark's eyes, feeling all the emotions he'd locked away return, and mark just stares lovingly into his eyes, and he wonders how donghyuck looks so breathtaking even in a hoodie and sweatpants. their eyes never leave each other, and mark tightens his hold on donghyuck, pulling the smaller closer to him as they waltz across the rooftop.

"did you see the soft toy that i left next to you?" he whispers into donghyuck's ear. donghyuck shudders at the feeling of mark's warm breath on his skin, and his nods, not trusting his voice.

"it reminded me of you, i couldn't help thinking of you. i can't, no matter what," he pauses, stopping in the middle of the rooftop, hands letting go of donghyuck's to cup the smaller's cheeks. donghyuck's breath hitches in his throat.

"donghyuck, i love you," mark breathes out when their faces are barely inches apart.

donghyuck's heart swells in happiness, and he nods his head rapidly, tears already escaping his eyes. 

"me too, me too. i love you, i love you mark. i love you so much-" mark closes the remaining gap between them, leaning into the kiss. he deepens the kiss and donghyuck gladly allows mark to explore deeper. mark's hand caresses donghyuck's cheeks, and the latter's hands automatically make their way to hook around mark's neck. they tilt their heads, giving the other more access. mark slips his tongue into donghyuck's mouth, and donghyuck moans slightly at the sudden sensation. mark smiles into the kiss at the sound that donghyuck makes, satisfied with his reaction, and donghyuck only smiles back into the kiss. when mark reluctantly pulls apart because donghyuck's breathing is becoming irregular, he rests his forehead on the latter's, taking in the sight of a panting donghyuck, all hot and flustered because of him. 

adoration and affection for the younger fills his heart, and he feels tears of joy slipping out of the corner of his eyes. donghyuck tiptoes to lightly kiss the edges of mark'es, kissing away the tears. 

they hear cheers from their friends behind, and soon they're engulfed in the middle of a group hug. donghyuck rests his head on mark's chest, and mark tightens his arm around him, pulling the younger closer towards him. at that moment, nothing could've made the both of them happier and mark silently thanked everyone. in the end, everyone tried the food that mark had made personally and although everyone gagged at how burnt it was, donghyuck inhaled everything with a smile on his face.

"i'm glad we aren't dating anymore," renjun jokes, causing everyone to burst into fits of laughter when mark only whines and replies with a "hey!"

when they return to the dorms that night, mark has donghyuck pinned to his bed, refusing to let donghyuck even stand up to pack his luggage. donghyuck is leaving the next day and all he wants to do is cherish their remaining time together. he peppers kisses on donghyuck's face, from his eyes to his nose, to his mouth then to his ear and eventually to his neck. they exchange slow, soft kisses, and fall asleep in each other's arms. donghyuck snuggles into mark, and mark lazily drapes his arm over the smaller's waist. donghyuck falls asleep to the consistent beating of mark's heart, and mark in turn falls asleep to the sound of donghyuck's soft snoring. he doesn't know how long he'd spent staring at the younger who had his arms wrapped around mark's waist, but he eventually falls asleep, and he makes a quick wish before he actually falls asleep.

he wishes that they'd be able to stay like that forever.

 

7th day

donghyuck wakes up the next morning, breathing in mark's scent. he feels an all too familiar slight tugging on his pinky, and he immediately sits upright, causing mark to frown at the loss of touch and warmth. 

"hyuck...?" mark calls out, voice low, still groggy.

"mark. wake up. you have to see this," donghyuck excitedly shakes mark, causing the latter to groan. but he wakes up anyway because nobody can resist donghyuck.

"what is it?"

"look!" donghyuck raises his and mark's intertwined hands, and his eyes land on the the striking red string hanging off both their fingers. mark furrows his eyebrows in confusion.

"what's wrong with it? isn't it still broken?" 

"no look at the end," donghyuck grins, pointing to the middle of the string.

mark's eyes travel along the length of the string, and he shakes his head, unable to believe what he was seeing. his eyes widen, and he grips donghyuck's shoulders, shaking them in excitement.

"hyuck, we're connected again!" donghyuck nods in response, and jumps into mark's arms, to which mark buries his face in the smaller's hair. pure bliss is all either of them feels, and for a moment they forget that donghyuck has to return to korea in less than 5 hours. 

when they're on the bus (the same on as the one on the first day) on their way to the airport, mark is pouting while looking out the window. donghyuck pokes lightly at his biceps, and mark still refuses to look at him, frowning.

"stop being so whiney about it mark, you're literally coming over in a week," donghyuck rolls his eyes, at how clingy his boyfriend is.

"one week is really long..." he mumbles back, arms crossed over his chest. donghyuck leans over to peck him on the cheek, causing mark to blush in his seat. jeno and jaemin merely shake their heads at the couple while renjun, chenle and jisung tease mark about his "strawberry cheeks".

_"passengers for flight to Seoul, Korea, please head to your boarding gate now."_

mark would be lying if he said his heart didn't drop at the sound of that announcement. the last thing he wanted right now was for donghyuck to leave when they'd just established their relationship yesterday. 

"i guess this is goodbye," donghyuck mutters, hand intertwined with mark as they walk side by side to his gate. 

mark frowns, scrunching his nose at donghyuck. it tempts donghyuck to peck him on the lips, and he does, leaning in to plant a soft kiss on the older's lips. its a slow kiss, and they both smile into the kiss. donghyuck feels his stomach doing somersaults, and mark doesn't see, hear or smell anything except for the male before him. 

when they pull apart, mark pulls donghyuck into his arms, and donghyuck closes his eyes as mark's scent wafts into his nose. he wishes that he and mark didn't have to be apart, but he knows its inevitable. 

"But i don't want this to sound like we're about to depart. if i ever get lost, tineun an naeryeogo hagessjiman (i'll try not to make it too obvious), imma call back. bereuneun nae tone ijji malgo(don't forget my tone that i use to call you), eonjedeun wichil ddaen hadeon daero(anytime you shout like always), hope we always feel like," mark sings softly in donghyuck's ear, causing the younger to look up at him in amazement.

"i didn't know you sing, and did you write this yourself?" his mouth gaped open at mark, causing the mark to chuckle.

"yeah i did. but it isn't complete, this is the teaser," he smirks at donghyuck, "the next part comes when i see you in korea," he leans forward to plant another kiss on donghyuck's lips. they hear jaemin and jeno shouting in the background, asking them to "hurry up lovebirds!", and they chuckle slightly.

"i'll see you in a week, mark lee. i love you" donghyuck grins, giving mark one last peck. mark gives donghyuck one last hug while muttering a soft "i love you too, hyuck" in reply, letting himself memorise the shape of the younger in his arms and his scent, before they finally let go of each other and donghyuck walks through the doors of the departure hall. 

"text me when you land!" he shouts to donghyuck, and the younger only rolls his eyes and replies with a "yes sir!" while giving mark a salute. just before he disappears out of mark's sight, he waves one last time at mark, to which mark waves back, and mark is already longing for his presence. he groaned out loud, causing renjun, jisung and chenle to look at him weirdly.

"i miss him already," mark whined, causing the three boys to roll their eyes and turn to walk off without him.

when donghyuck gets on the plane, he's thankful that he got the opportunity to come to canada, which gave him the chance to meet mark. he smiles unconsciously at the thought of the other male, and he closes his eyes, hoping to land in seoul as soon as possible so that he can text mark.

when mark gets on the bus back to campus, he thinks back and realises how hectic the past week had been, and he thanks the heavens for sending donghyuck into his life. a smile creeps onto his face, and he too, closes his eyes, hoping that somehow the younger would land in seoul as soon as possible.

**Author's Note:**

> slight mention of dear dream at the end cos its my favourite song in the album, and it's just amazing. rly love the meaning behind it. thnx for reading!!


End file.
